Star Wars: Forgotten No More
by Dr.Beak1669
Summary: A time of turmoil! As the Rebellion intensifies its assault on the Empire, a crew of hired smugglers escape the wrath of a local Imperial Governor. Their hyperdrive and engines damaged, they are forced to land on a mysterious planet with a shattered moon in the Unknown Regions. While the Vytal Festival draws close, the world of Remnant is brought into the light shined by the Galaxy


_**Unidentified Planet**_

_**Unidentified System**_

_**Unknown Regions**_

_**4 BBY**_

* * *

Entering the Unknown Regions was — and always will be — a bad idea, so long as you aren't prepared for it. Since before the Republic, the Sith Wars and everything in between, this one region, a full 15% of the galaxy, remained nearly impossible to chart. It was hell to safely traverse; wandering black holes, hyperspace anomalies, uncounted and uncountable celestial bodies, the Chiss and any other species that might dwell within the uncharted parts of the galaxy, and whatever else could be inside the Unknown Regions. It was, of course, unknown.

But, in a galaxy filled with trillions of people, from different walks of life, philosophies, and goals, there will always be a section of daring adventurers who have tried their luck within this expansive weave of anomalies and celestial dangers. Scouts who attempt to chart the unending chaos of nebulae, black holes, planets, moons, and hyperspace routes. Each one as unique as the last, even with the unreliability of the sources. Many tales originated from the Unknown Regions, and some theorize it could be the very origin of life.

But sometimes, it was refuge; the difficulty of the Unknown Regions went doubly for large ships. Imperial Star Destroyers and frigates, cruisers and other such large transports. If you were to have any luck within this pit of discord, you would go small. It was a haven for the lowest of the low, pirates and smugglers taking a lone moon as their base or sanctuary. Smugglers, bounty hunters, the few that scrape by or seek excitement. Such was the crew of the _Bronze Nebula_, a modified YT-2000 Corellian freighter. A team of 5 miscreants and opportunists.

Julon Hod — daring pilot, cunning smuggler, and bounty hunter on the side — was one of these adventurers. Being of the Duros, a species of spacefarers and shipbuilders, he was naturally drawn to his domain. Tall, with the standard blue skin and large head, a thin noseless face with goggle red eyes with slit pupils. Along with a long coat lined with secret compartments, he wore thin plastoid armor, stolen from a stormtrooper. Stashed in his coat of many pockets was his trust GL-77, painted white instead of gold and outfitted with a short scope. He gazed out at the swirling kaleidoscope of blue chaos and white tears of time and space that was the hyperspace tunnel. His hands gripped tightly the _Nebula_'s controls, feeling her shake and tremble in pain.

"How much longer?" He cried out, his voice a warped masculine tone. The viewport swayed subtly, bringing worry that compiled to the anxious blare of the emergency klaxon.

"ETA 2 minutes!" Ithe Tadan, a Nautolan and Hod's co-pilot, answered as his hands whipped between the various switches, buttons and levers. A bounty hunter by trade, he was encased in body armor, etched with the many memories of his bounties. A modified bowcaster was strapped and slung over his shoulder, designed out of an old DC-15S of the deceased green skin and head-tendrils sprouting from his cranium, he was a muscular man taller than Hod. An exoskeleton and dense cartilage aided his occupation as a bounty hunter, and large swirling black eyes of his amphibious race added an advantage underwater and in low-light environments. Since the beginning, he and Hod have been partners.

Ithe held down a button underneath a speaker, located next to the navicomputer that jittered and flickered, static washing away the image of the ship. "Kelly, what's the situation with the engines!" He spoke through the speaker, his voice hard and blunt.

The speaker vibrates slightly, causing a distortion effect to the feminine voice speaking through.

"Not good, Ithe. Something's wrong with the engines!" The voice, Kelly, said in clear anxiety. The Unknown Regions were known for the strange occurrences. Sudden engine failures, wandering black holes, hyperspace anomalies, and madness. It was one of the few reasons the Unknown Regions was always unknown, not excluding the secretive Chiss. Ithe turned towards the still malfunctioning navicomputer, as the static slowly and mysteriously died. A countdown from their last jump, signalling an end to the tunnel.

"Exiting hyperspace in 3!

2!

1!

"We're out of hyperspace!" Tadan notified the ship, the _Nebula _jerking forward, rocking Julon and Ithe in their seats. The tunnel of blue madness collapsed, giving way to the inky blackness of despair and white gleams of hope that is called space. And with it, a planet centered itself into her viewport. A round ball, covered in the shadow of space, the hemisphere hidden from it. A glint of the sun bleeds from the edge of the planet, illuminating an arc of the exosphere and the moon which seemingly hovered too close to the planet.

Despite the striking beauty of the picturesque view of the planet, as well as the many questions that were introduced with it, Julon and Ithe wasted no time rising from their seats, the former walking up a small set of steps that bisected the cockpit. Both passed the holonet terminals, a chair placed into a corner of screens, and the crew quarters out into the main corridor, following the circular path towards the aft-end.

Kelly herself was leaning against the side of the door leading into the engineering bay, gulping large amounts of air into her lungs to coax her rapidly beating heart to stabilize. A young Human woman of delicate features. Chestnut eyes and a cute little nose planted on a heart-shaped face. Fine yellow hair like the sun was tied into a braid, and wearing traveling robes of brown and maroon. A pouch dangled on her side, and a belt kept it all from falling. Before, she was being hunted, as was the case for any Force-sensitive individuals. Had it not been for the intervention of the Duros and Nautolan, she surely would've been subjugated under the hand of the Empire. As reparation, she held the duty of mechanic.

Julon and Ithe approached, Kelly turning to meet them. Julon had a frown stretched across his jaw, slightly scrunched to expose straight reptilian teeth. Though lacking eyebrows, it was clear through the pronounced ridge that he was frustrated. This went for many reptilian and amphibian species, making Ithe no exception.

The last of the crew made their way towards the engineering bay from the lounge, a regal-looking young man of the core worlds named Caine Solari and a tall, caped alabaster model IG-100 MagnaGuard droid named IG-159, or just AyeJi. Caine was a thin man in his mid-20s, clad in the regal robes of Naboo, with the smooth and charismatic face that was downplayed by a stiff gaze. His attire consists of flowing white with strips of black and gold and trousers of beige, along with a half-robe. A holster latched onto a belt betrayed his defenseless appearance, occupied by an ELG-3A.

"What happened?" Caine asked with the inquisition and accent of a high galactic senator, a scrunched look of worry on his face.

"Electrical surge. Probably one of those anomalies that makes travel here so dangerous. At least we got away from those Imperials. They wouldn't think to look for us this deep into the west." Kelly said, pushing herself from the wall to follow the Duros entering the engineering bay to examining his precious ship's engines.

The door slid upwards, letting entry to 3 at once. The hyperdrive, weeping sparking and blowing smoke from the abuse it withstood, gave consolation towards the band of sublight engines that were scorched beyond belief. These engines wouldn't last much longer. And if they weren't replaced, they'd be stuck floating through the darkness until life support finally shut down or they run out of resources.

This was the price to pay for hiding in the Unknown Regions. Julon knew fully well, as did the rest.

"Well, what do we do now?" Caine asked. It was a good question; what can they do? It was a precarious situation to be in, and demanded a well-thought out plan. These engines could perhaps take them into orbit of the nearby planet. It looked habitable, based on what he saw.

"Simple. We're touching down onto a nearby planet." Julon exclaimed, the Duros smuggler marching off towards the cockpit to prepare entering orbit. AyeJi turned his head, his red photoreceptors trained onto Hod.

"Statement: Unknown Region planets are unpredictable and have chances of harboring dangers in atmosphere, climate, or wildlife. Suggestion: extreme caution." The voice came out as a low growl, clearly fit of a warrior — fit for a MagnaGuard. But AyeJi was no longer that. He was part of the _Bronze Nebula_ crew, loyal now after convincing and favors. It was an added bonus to AI with personality.

"I know AyeJi. But we have to take our chances. If it's anything like Naboo — blue and green with white clouds — than it should be breathable. Might even have people there…" Julon stopped for a moment when he began to think of that possibility. Civilization within the Unknown Regions. Not uncommon, like the Chiss. But if they were anything like them, they either were very isolationist and xenophobic or not able to travel through space.

"Statement: I do not like this plan. More than likely, if there is civilization, it could be hostile. Depending on the advancement of society, military will approach if we are caught."

"We'll keep our blasters ready." He stated with finality. Julon signaled Ithe to the cockpit, preparing to land on the planet. It was a risk they were willing to take, the consequences weighed. They could deal with a primitive culture of a planet that was unbeknownst to the rest of the galaxy. Or they could drift aimlessly in space with no hope of rescue.

It was clear what option to take, as the sublight engines fired slowly and carefully towards the atmosphere of the planet.

"You sure about this? We don't know what we're getting into here." Julon heard Ithe asked as he sat in the pilot's chair. His large red eyes zeroed onto the mysterious planet, watching as it drifted left. The hum of engines slowly drove them closer to the sun-lit hemisphere, passing the moon. The shattered moon, a decent chunk drifting in space, debris that could clearly be seen from space.

"No. I'm not sure."Julon answered, "But we're always gambling when you're living life fast."

* * *

It was only several minutes of travel when they broke through the atmosphere. The heating of the hull, as well as various signals from the computers, signaled their breaking into atmosphere. Past clouds, Julon and Ithe praised, with growing smiles, the gracious signs of life. Rushing water, rising trees, gentle grass, and rolling plains. It was obvious this planet had a type I atmosphere, and clearly could harbor life. It was astonishing. But deep down, they had a subconscious realization; if this planet harbored life, then there's a likelihood of civilization, some sort of advanced species.

Ithe prepared the landing sequence, having found a large enough clearing within the sprawling forest below to land the _Nebula_. Slowly and carefully did she touch down onto the planet surface on her landing gear. The satisfying thud being a sign of progress. All that was left now was a maintenance check.

The boarding ramp was already lowering when both the Nautolan and the Duros left the cockpit, circling around towards the starboard side. Caine, AyeJi and Kelly were already on the ground, feet firmly placed onto solid ground with the sensation of oxygen confirming their wishes. The tall trees loomed above, casting a shadow around the clearing. Several spears of light broke the monotonous shade, bringing color with it. The sounds of nature buzzed, the chirps of birds a true sound that was soothing for an unexplored planet.

"Alright—" Julon started, walking down the ramp after Ithe. "As you know, the electrical system is down. That means the computers, turrets and hyperdrive are running on fumes. If we want to get off this rock, we'll have to replace the engines and any damaged wires."

Caine furrowed his brow, sending a bewildered expression towards the pilot. "Wait, if we need to replace the engines, where are we going to find one?" There was a sound of agreement from Kelly, as they didn't have a backup and no way of replacing the damaged engines.

"That's where things get tricky. You and Kelly will need to find some way to buy new engines. I don't know what or who lives here, and I don't want to risk Ithe, AyeJi or myself for standing out. Me and Ithe will sort out the electrical systems with AyeJi on lookout. Keep your blasters ready; we don't know what's out there. And god knows what'd happen if we're caught by the inhabitants." Caine and Kelly sent a look of annoyance towards Julon, Kelly crossing her arms.

Julon pinched where the bridge of his nose would be. "Look, I know I'm sending the two Humans off into the unknown. But honestly, I'd rather have Caine talking to people rather than anyone else here. Kelly, you'd know how to use any engines you might find."

It did make sense. Being the son of a senator, Caine learned how to talk and persuade people to side with him and allow small things. And Kelly did have the knack to adapt with machines.

"Alright. If we get caught up with the planet's military — if there **is** a military — we'll keep our blasters to stun. I don't want to be prosecuted on some foreign planet." Caine advised, checking and stashing away his holster holding his ELG-3A. Hod nodded, agreeing with him on the possible scenario.

The _Nebula _crew continued to discuss their plan, unaware of their secret watcher. When the two Humans begin to leave the clearing into the forest, a crow, perched upon the limb of a tree, took flight. It glided along the canopy top, AyeJi's photoreceptors tracking its movement and deducing no threat. The crow rode the wind for miles before inexplicably shifting form. A man, with greying black hair and red eyes, dressed in a white dress shirt and tattered cloak, landed firmly on his feet despite the brew tracing his body. From the back pocket of his black dress pants, he withdraws a device that slides apart, revealing a holographic screen. A few taps leads it to his ear, the universal dialing ring thrumming his ear.

"Ozpin." He greets the man on the other end, his voice grizzled not unlike a war veteran. "You're gonna want to hear this…"


End file.
